Dry lime acetylene generator



May 2, 1950 R. R. l.. GEFFROY DRY LIME ACETYLENE GENERATOR Filed May 8, 1945 lNVEN'l-ofi lobev Rene' Louis Gegrog Patented May 2, 1950 LTENT OFFICE DRY LIME ACETYLENE GENERATOR Robert Ren Louis Geifroy, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, assigner to Volcan IS. A., YLevallois i( Seine yFrance Section `ll, PublicLaw 690, August Y8,1946 Patent expires .l une 4, 1962 (Cl. S48-$3) 4 Claims. 1

The invention relates to dry lime acetylene generators having a rotary` openwork receptacle or basket containing the calcium carbide.

In known generators of this type, the basket is of cylindrical or approximately cylindrical shape, rotated about an approximately horizontal axis. In these generators, lling of the basket with carbide is diiiicult, as it must either be filled by hand through trap-doors provided therein, or it must be removed from the generator and filled through a removable bottom closure.

In other generators of this type, the rotary vdrum has a very large diameter, and one of the ends is opened in its central `portion for accom modating a chute for manual or automatic feeding of the carbide. This arrangement requires, for a given load, a very large dead space in the drum, which increases the overall size, the weight and cost of the generator, and reduces the eificiency of the generator owing to the large quantity of gas lost each time it is opened.

The invention has for its object to remedy these drawbacks and resides in that the carbide basket has an openwork conical or frustum shaped lower part whose axis is arranged obliquely, and is rotatable about said oblique axis, said lower conical part being preferably so devised that its lower generatrix is substantially horizontal and the upper portion of the basket, preferably of frustum-shape, having a central opening accommodating a chute for charging the carbide and a perforated pipe for distributing water.

to these arrangements, the position of the pieces of carbide is constantly changed during the rotation of the basket and loading of the carbide can be readily effected without any dismounting of the generator, which latter may be kept within reasonable limits of size.

Reference is made to the applicants copending application Serial No. 592,617, filed May 8,

1945, entitled Dry lime acetylene generators, which shows and claims subject matter related to that of the present application.

Further objects and features of the invention will appear in the course of the following description, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows, by way of example, an embodiment of an acetylene generator according to the invention.

Referring to the single figure of the drawing, wherein the generator is shown in vertical section, l denotes the casing of the generator in which is rotatably arranged a carbide openwork receptacle or basket formed of two conical members 2 and 3, opposed at their large bases, and

the common axis il of which is inclined. The lower conical part? has an openwork or perforated formation, whereas the -mizper frustum-shaped part 3 can be `solid or perforated. IThe basket is rotated about the inclined axis 4 by means of a bevel ring gear E, meshing with a bevel pinion 5, keyed to a driving shaft f1. The inclination of the axis 4 is preferably such vthat the lower generatrix of cone 2 is approximately horizontal, which proves to be the best position for an approximately uniform distribution of the carbide level, in the basket during the rotation. In order to take 'advantage to the maximum of the available space in the casing, the 'angle at the apex of the cone 2 should be about 90.

The frustum-shaped part 3 has a central opening accommodating a fixed feeding chute 9, closed by a fiuid-tight cap I0. The highest level 'of the carbide corresponds preferably to the lower part of the chute.

A water distributing pipe l l, extending through the central opening il, delivers a spray of water unto the bulk of carbide within the basket. Said distributor is preferably removable, in order to ciean the holes when Aobstructed by the salts contained in the water which are precipitated under the action of heat.

The bottom l2 of the casing is adapted to receive the residual lime produced by the decomposition of the carbide batch, and possesses a discharge orifice for the extraction of said lime by means of a poker or any other means. An acetylene outlet i3 is provided, controlled by a valve V.

The invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment above described and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a dry lime acetylene generator, a casing, a receptacle in the casing adapted to contain calcium carbide, means supporting said receptacle for rotation about an axis inclined at an angle with the horizontal, said receptacle comprising a generally conical openwork portion having its apex disposed toward the lower end of said axis and having an apex angle substantially twice the angle of axis inclination, means for rotating said receptacle about said axis, said receptacle having a carbide receiving aperture opening toward the upper end of said axis, means including said aperture for supplying carbide to said receptacle, means extending through said aperture for spraying water over the carbide in the receptacle, said receptacle being effective upon rotation thereof to mix the water and the carbide and to sift the lime formed by reaction of the carbide and water through the bottom of said openwork portion of the receptacle to the bottom of the casing, thereby separating the lime from the carbide, and means including an aperture in the bottom of the casing for removing the sifted lime therefrom.

2. In a dry lime acetylene generator, a casing, a receptacle in the casing adapted to contain calcium carbide, means supporting said receptacle for rotation about an axis inclined at an angle with the horizontal, said receptacle comprising a generally conical openwork portion having its apex disposed toward the lower end of said axis and having an apex angle of substantially twice the angle of axis inclination, means for rotating said receptacle about said axis, said receptacle having a carbide receiving aperture concentric with said axis, a carbide feeding chute extending into the casing and having its lower end aligned with said receptacle aperture, means extending through said chute and said aperture for spraying water over the carbide in the receptacle, said receptacle being effective upon rotation thereof to mix the water and the carbide and to sift the lime formed by reaction of the carbide and water through the bottom of said openwork portion of the receptacle to the bottom of the casing, thereby separating the lime from the carbide, and means including an aperture in the bottom of the casing for removing the sifted lime therefrom.

3. In a dry lime acetylene generator, a casing, a receptacle in the casing adapted to contain calcium carbide, means supporting said receptacle for rotation about an axis inclined at an angle of substantially 45 with the horizontal, said receptacle comprising a hollow, generally conical openwork portion having its apex disposed toward the lower end of said axis and having an apex angle of substantially 90, means for rotating said receptacle about said axis, said receptacle having a carbide receiving aperture opening toward the upper end of said axis, means including said aperture for supplying carbide to said receptacle, means extending through said aperture for spraying Water over the carbide in the receptacle, said receptacle being effective upon rotation thereof to mix the water and the carbide and to sift the lime formed by reaction of the carbide and water through the bottom of said openwork portion of the receptacle to the bottom of the casing, thereby separating the lime from the carbide, means including an aperture in the bottom of the casing for removing the sifted lime therefrom.

4. A dry lime acetylene generator as in claim 3, in which said receptacle also comprises a hollow frustum shaped portion having its large end attached to the open end of the conical openwork portion, and in which said receptacle rotating means comprises a bevel ring gear attached to and encircling said receptacle adjacent the junction of the conical portion and the frustum shaped portion, and a bevel pinion gear in mesh with the ring gear and fixed on a horizontal shaft journalled in the casing.

ROBERT REN Louis GEFFROY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 552,028 Willson Dec. 24, 1895 604,140 Dolan May 17, 1898 1,617,889 Woodgate et al. Feb. 15, 1929 1,712,674 Mujica May 14, 1929 1,718,935 Alden July "2, 1929 1,872,741 Jane Aug. 23, 1932 2,204,184 Kojola. et al June 11, 1940 2,290,036 Davis July 14, 1942 2,343,185 Holm et al. Feb. 29, 1944 2,357,186 Gfeller Aug. 29, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 528,875 Great Britain Nov. 8, 1940 693,944 Germany July 20, 1940 

1. IN A DRY LIME ACETYLENE GENERATOR, A CASING, A RECEPTACLE IN THE CASING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN CALCIUM CARBIDE, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID RECEPTACLE FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS INCLINED AT AN ANGLE WITH THE HORIZONTAL, SAID RECEPTACLE COMPRISING A GENERALLY CONICAL OPENWORK PORTION HAVING ITS APEX DISPOSED TOWARD THE LOWER END OF SAID AXIS AND HAVING AN APEX ANGLE SUBSTANTIALLY TWICE THE ANGLE OF AXIS INCLINATION, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID RECEPTACLE ABOUT SAID AXIS, SAID RECEPTACLE HAVING A CARBIDE RECEIVING APERTURE OPENING TOWARD THE UPPER END OF SAID AXIS, MEANS INCLUDING SAID APERTURE FOR SUPPLYING CARBIDE TO SAID RECEPTACLE, MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURE FOR SPRAYING WATER OVER THE CARBIDE IN THE RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE BEING EFFECTIVE UPON ROTATION THEREOF TO MIX THE WATER AND THE CARBIDE AND TO SIFT THE LIME FORMED BY REACTION OF THE CARBIDE AND WATER THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF SAID OPENWORK PORTION OF THE RECEPTACLE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE CASING, THEREBY SEPARATING THE LIME FROM THE CARBIDE, AND MEANS INCLUDING AN APERATURE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE CASING FOR REMOVING THE SIFTED LIME THEREFROM. 